Crispy Tofu with a Maple Sweet and Sour Sauce


Cooking with Maple Products / Main Courses / Recipes with Maple Syrup / Tofu and Legumes

Tofu-croustillant-1200x900
Preparation Time:
Cooking Time:
Cooling Time:
4 portions
Metric Imperial

Ingredients

MARINADE AND TOFU

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup sesame oil
  • 1 tsp ginger, minced
  • 1 tsp Sambal Oelek chili paste
  • 2 cups firm tofu, cut into large chunks
  • 3/4 cup cornstarch (for coating)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • Salt and ground pepper

MAPLE SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

  • 3/4 cup maple syrup (preferably golden syrup for its delicate flavour)
  • 1 tsp Sambal Oelek chili paste
  • 3 tsp rice vinegar
  • 3 tsp ginger, minced
  • 4 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp ketchup
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tsp cornstarch

GARNISH

  • 4 bok choy
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow pepper, diced coarsely
  • 1 red pepper, diced coarsely
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 oranges, peeled and cut into supremes
  • 1/2 cucumber, washed and sliced into fine julienne strips with a knife or mandolin
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Salt and ground pepper

Method

MARINADE AND TOFU

  1. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, orange juice, sesame oil, ginger, and the Sambal Oelek. Marinate the tofu in this mixture for 2 hours in the fridge.
  2. Take the tofu out of the marinade and coat the cubes on all sides with cornstarch, removing the excess.
  3. Pour the vegetable oil into a skillet and sear the tofu over high heat until golden and crispy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

MAPLE SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

  1. In a saucepan, combine the maple syrup, Sambal Oelek, rice vinegar, ginger, soy sauce, ketchup, and sesame oil. Put on medium heat and bring to a boil.
  2. In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the water. Whisk then into the sweet and sour sauce and lower the heat. Heat for one minute, stirring vigorously to bind.
  3. Just before serving, coat the crispy tofu cubes well with the sweet and sour sauce.

GARNISH

  1. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the bok choy for about 3 minutes.
  2. Drain, then cool in ice water. Drain again and cut into halves lengthwise.
  3. Now sauté the bok choy in a little butter. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  4. In a skillet, sauté the peppers in 45 ml (3 tbsp) of olive oil, but don’t let them brown. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  5. In a non-stick pan over low heat, dry toast the sesame seeds for 3 – 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Set aside.
  6. In a bowl, toss the julienned cucumber with 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

ASSEMBLY AND SERVING

  1. Into four soup plates, divide the peppers and bok choy (two halves per plate). Add the tofu coated in sweet and sour sauce, then the orange supremes, the julienned cucumber, and some toasted sesame seeds.
  2. Drizzle with maple syrup.

REFRIGERATION TIME: 2 hours

The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers is not in any way responsible for the identification or presence of allergens in recipes or for the classification of any recipe as vegetarian or vegan.

Recipes by Olivier Perret

Chef

Cooking with Maple Products Recipes

Main Courses Recipes

Recipes with Maple Syrup

Tofu and Legumes Recipes

More about Maple

Maple syrup comes in four classifications, according to colour and taste.

At the start of sugaring season, syrup is generally clear, with a lightly sweet taste. It becomes darker and caramelized as the season goes on.

An unopened can of maple syrup keeps for many years.

Once the can is opened, syrup should be kept in an airtight container in a cool place.

100% pure maple butter contains no butter or dairy.

Like all 100% pure maple products, maple butter comes from the sap of the maple tree… and that’s all.